Photography, Art and Design

Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category

I recently came across a website by photographer Simon Kitchin who specialises in mountain and coastline photography in the UK, and especially North Wales. Simon’s website landscapephotographyuk provides a nice set of galleries with some great landscape shots of areas such as the Isle of Anglesey coast, North Wales Coastal, and the Mountains and Lakes of the UK which include photographs of Buttermere Lake in the Lake District.

The feedback Simon receives in his guestbook just goes to show how well his photography and knowledge of the areas he walks is appreciated. With comments like “When I first clicked on I was greeted to the most awesome scene and when I delved deeper was stunned by your work……wonderful to say the least.” he must be inspired to add to his portfolio.

Being a photographer I appreciated his Locations and Articles pages where he lists websites that provide more information about the areas he has visited, along with information for the photographer in particular. This is helpful for those photo trips around the UK and can help you plan a route rather than wander around aimlessly looking for the best scenery and walks.

All in all a useful site with some great landscape photography which help to show what a beautiful island we live on! Keep up the good work Simon 🙂

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Photography has expanded at such a rate of knots since the advent of digital cameras that sometimes when I’m browsing the web at fellow photographer’s galleries it just seems like I’m looking at the same stuff over and over again.

Then you come across a photographer who has created something unique, which is very rare these days. Maybe it’s a creative processing technique or a new way of looking at things. The thing is, photographers who stand out from the crowd are talked about. They create a sub niche all of their own.

Staying ahead of the pack and being visible in a deep sea of images is very difficult for the majority of people so you need to think differently, as Apple famously said. Step out of the box, rip it up and start again. I’m not going to tell you how to do it, if it were that easy it wouldn’t work! You may come across uniqueness by accident and fair play to you if you do. You may just need to meditate on how to create that inspiring spark from behind the lens, dropping what is tried and tested and exploring visuals from another angle entirely.

It’s the only thing we can do to stay one step ahead. Get creative, inspire your fellow photographers and show us what you can do. It will be worth it!

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Wildlife photography is a niche form of photography that is not practiced by all photographers as it is quite challenging and requires high patience and endurance levels. The main task of a wildlife photographer is to capture stunning pictures of animals and the wildlife in general. There are some extraordinary places in the world that serve as the best places to shoot wildlife photos for many aspiring as well as professional wildlife photographers. One such place is the Bristol Zoo Gardens which is found in England.

The Bristol Zoo Gardens in England is home to more than four hundred and fifty different species of endangered animals that come from all different parts of the world. At this zoo, one can easily find different species of reptiles, Asiatic lions, birds, butterflies, gorillas as well as monkeys. People who come to visit this zoo are also entertained by the animal show which the zoo curators conduct as a part of the yearly festival. (more…)

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After nearly 6 years with my trusty D50 I plumped for a tasty new D7000 over Christmas. So I’ve gone from a 6MP dslr to a 16MP! Not to mention the fact the new camera has full HD video recording capabilities (1080p 1920x1080px), a huge 3″ LCD screen and numerous other improvements.

But I’m not here to compare the two cameras, they are worlds apart in terms of technology and age. The D50 was great back in the day but I wanted to say a few words on the new Nikon.

Due to the myriad new features today’s cameras have it is taking me a while to get to grips with the D7000. The D50 was relatively simple compared tot his new beast. There are tons of buttons all over the D7000 and after a quick play I found the need to RTFM! Thankfully Nikon have provided a great manual that covers just about everything you need to know about the D7000. In fact, it’s going to take me a while to get through it all. Right now I’m dipping in when I find myself flummoxed by something the camera does, or does not do! (more…)

When you are getting to the stage of actually selling your photographic work to friends, family and customers you need to make the most of the printing media available to ensure you make that sale. The customer needs to have your picture printed in a way that will suit their interior decor so take a look at these 5 ways to maximise print sales.

1. Poster Prints
This is a popular way to offer your work and probably the most cost effective. If you don’t have a good printer yourself you can simply use an online printer such as http://www.photobox.co.uk to get the job done. The downsides to poster prints are that the customer has to then get them framed and there may not be enough profit margin in it for you.

2. Canvas Prints
Canvases have become very popular over the last decade and look really great on a suitable wall space. They are printed on canvas material and wrapped around a wooden frame of stretcher bars which are then ready to hang. Because of the frame they stand away from the wall and can look stunning. You will find many canvas printers online or you can even buy canvas kits to do it yourself.

3. Triptych Canvas Prints
Triptych canvases are where the image is split across 3 canvas panels (also known as ‘split frame canvases’). These again are very popular but will cost a lot more to make as essentially you are having 3 canvases printed. The bonus is that for a lot of images they look very dramatic and can provide a real focus point for the room. Don’t expect to be able to match the prices customers can find in shop retailers like Next though. They get their prints mass produced in foreign countries which brings their prices down immensely. Printing triptych canvas art on-demand is costly but some customer are willing to pay for it. The quality will be much higher too.

4. Acrylic Prints
Photos on acrylic are a relatively new way to display your work. There are two methods you will find online. Some companies like to print directly onto acrylic sheets whilst some prefer to print on photo paper and bond this to the back of the acrylic. There are pros and cons for both, and one might work better with certain images. Acrylic is like perspex, and they are usually finished off with nice contemporary fixing posts in each corner. The beauty of acrylic prints is they look so glossy behind the acrylic that it makes the picture stand out wonderfully, creating a punchy, modern piece of wall art.

5. Acrylic Photo Blocks
If you want to offer your clients or friends a funky new alternative to the age-old framed print then photo blocks are just the ticket. These are freestanding chunky acrylic blocks that have the photo bonded to the rear section. The thickness of the blocks helps create a 3D style to the image as the light wraps the image around the sides of the artwork. As with acrylic wall prints, these are punchy, contemporary and bright prints.

If you are looking for a company in the UK who can offer all these print options then try Fotoviva Art Prints and ask them for a bespoke quote. They offer a friendly and professional service for photographers across the country.

So now you have some inspiring print options to show to your customers which will help you sell more of your images. Get some prints made and see for yourself how your photographs look on these different print medias.